A Detroit woman leaves the hospital with $25 gift card, but she’d probably rather have the chunk of her skull that doctors misplaced

A lawsuit filed on December 16, 2025, in Michigan, accuses a Detroit hospital of a major medical error: misplacing a portion of a patient’s skull after brain surgery and later attempting to apologize with a $25 gift card, which the family found insulting. You might get more than that for bad service at Applebee’s.

The suit was brought on behalf of Edna Burton, a longtime hospital employee. The ordeal began in June 2023, when Edna suffered a stroke and was rushed to Ascension St. John. To save her life, surgeons performed a hemicraniectomy, a standard but high-stakes procedure where a portion of the skull is removed to allow the brain to swell without being crushed against the bone.

Typically, the removed bone fragment, known as a bone flap, is frozen and stored in a specialized tissue bank within the hospital. Once the patient’s brain swelling subsides, the original bone is retrieved and reattached in a follow-up surgery.

The missing part of her skull

However, according to ClickonDetroit, when Burton’s family returned months later to schedule the reconstructive surgery, hospital staff informed them that the bone flap could not be located. According to the legal complaint, the hospital allegedly mislabeled the tissue, mixing it up with that of another patient—referred to in reports as “Edna Brown”—before eventually losing or discarding it entirely.

Because the original bone was unavailable, doctors were forced to use a synthetic prosthetic plate to close the opening in Burton’s skull. The family alleges that this substitute was insufficient.

Once an active grandmother, Burton is now reportedly bed-bound, relies on a feeding tube for nutrition, and communicates through limited gestures. She currently requires 24-hour nursing care to manage chronic pain and the physical toll of her immobility.

While the hospital reportedly argued that Burton’s subsequent decline was a natural result of her initial stroke, the lawsuit contends that the botched skull reconstruction led to a drop in her quality of life.

The gift card controvesy

What brought the situation to national attention was the hospital’s alleged response. Following the discovery that the bone flap was missing, the family claims they were offered a $25 gift card as an apology.

“It was very insulting,” Erica Burton told local media outlets, emphasizing that a nominal token could never compensate for the loss of her mother’s health or the permanent changes to their family dynamic. Burton’s family also denies that Edna’s condition could be related to the stroke rather than the botched skull procedure.

Henry Ford Health assumed control of Ascension St. John Hospital in 2024, after the surgeries occurred. In court filings and statements to media outlets, Henry Ford Health has argued it should be dismissed from the lawsuit because the alleged negligence took place before the transition in ownership. The health system has declined to comment further, citing ongoing litigation.

Ascension Health, which operated the hospital at the time of Burton’s treatment, has not publicly responded to the allegations as of December 18, 2025. The Burton family is seeking damages to cover medical costs, long-term care, and pain and suffering.